Projects

RCRA: Industrial Property Redevelopment

Contaminated Soil Removal - Vernon, California

Background

During the demolition and subsurface structure removal activities, the demolition contractor encountered a subsurface vault that contained oil-soaked soil as well as areas of oily metallic slag and burn pit ash materials. In June 2016, McAlister GeoScience was contacted to perform a site inspection and determine the proper environmental monitoring and profiling of the oily/ash slag materials as well as other potential environmental impact areas within the Subject Property. A profile sample was collected from the stockpile of the oily / ash slag material to determine if the material had any elevated containments above the local and state regulatory standards for industrial/commercial properties. The soil sample reported elevated concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and total lead.  

Based on review of historical documents and the site inspection and monitoring efforts, a total of seven areas of concern (AOCs) were identified and managed as part of this remedial action.  The seven AOCs were located in the central and eastern portion of the Subject Property.

Results

During the months of June and July 2016, McAlister GeoScience and managed the impacted soil excavation and removal actions at each of the seven AOCs identified with visible staining or elevated Photo-Ionization Detector (PID) readings. The removal actions included direct loading of impacted materials into 20-cubic yard (yd3) roll-off bins. Once the impacted materials were removed and native material was visible and confirmed, a sample was collection from the excavation and analyzed for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) and total lead. The excavation areas were backfilled and compacted with overburden material from other areas of the site.

Total lead concentration in the removed soil identified at 1,364 milligrams per Kilogram. The sample was analyzed for soluble threshold limit concentration (STLC) and total threshold limit concentration (TTLC) to determine if the material would be classified as California Hazardous Waste or RCRA Hazardous Waste, respectively. The material was profiled as California hazardous waste and was manifested and transported to the U.S. Ecology facility in Beatty, Nevada.  A total of 74 20-yd3 roll-off bins were transported to U.S. Ecology’s Beatty facility. A total of approximately 1,308 tons of impacted soils were removed from the Subject Property.